Champagne Wishes and Betty Dreams
by LondonGirl27
Summary: After the incident with Renee, Daniel closes himself off to everyone - including Betty. A DanielBetty fic. Alternate Universe. Set after the Season 2 episode Burning Questions but before Betty's Baby Bump. Note: CHAPTER 3 is now posted.
1. Doctor's Orders

**Title:** Champagne Wishes and Betty Dreams

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** After the incident with Renee, Daniel closes himself off to everyone - including Betty.

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place sometime after the Season 2 episode "Burning Questions" but before "Betty's Baby Bump".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters. (But in this fic, the doctor is my creation.)

**A/N: ** I came up with bits and pieces of this fic sometime ago, but I'm only posting parts of it now. After watching "Burning Questions", I wanted to delve more into Daniel's psyche and how Betty's words affected him. (I needed more than what they gave us in "Betty's Baby Bump".) This is not meant to be a long fic - just long enough to get to the heart of Daniel's problem.

Unfortunately, the ideas for this fic (and one other) have prevented me from finishing the last chapter of "Snuggling Charles Dickens"! But if any of my old, faithful readers are reading this note, please know that I will finish that story. I would never abandon that fic, since I think of it as my first "baby". :) The ideas are there - they just have to make their way to paper. (The same can be said of "A Partridge and A Parasitic Weed". I will be finishing that one, as well.) And thank you again to all who are still leaving me reviews for "SCD" and my other fics! Your words never fail in giving me that extra dose of encouragement.

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**Chapter 1: Doctor's Orders**

"Daniel. Daniel? Are you alright?"

The sound of Dr. Avery's concerned voice broke into Daniel's silent reverie, causing him to glance up for the first time in five minutes.

"I'm sorry…I guess I was lost in my thoughts again." Blinking, Daniel shook his head and recalled his present location. "What were you saying?"

The gray-haired, elderly doctor peered at Daniel over the rim of his glasses. "I asked if you were okay," he repeated once again as he tapped his pen against his hand. "I'd like to help you, but you haven't done anything for the last several minutes except stare at your lap and twiddle your thumbs."

"I know." Daniel sighed lightly with exasperation as he ran his right hand over the back of his neck. "I…I just wanted someone to talk to, but…I…I guess this isn't as easy as I thought it would be."

"It rarely is." Sitting forward in his chair, the doctor brought his fingers together in a steeple formation over his desk. It was the second time within the week that the young editor-in-chief had dropped by his office, and yet, he could hardly speak when given the chance. Instead, their conversations had turned into very short question-and-answer sessions, with mostly 'yes' and 'no' answers given on Daniel's part. Of course, there were a few times when Daniel seemed on the verge of saying much more, but those moments died out as soon as they came.

Still, Dr. Avery knew that all Daniel needed was time – and a good ear to hear him out.

"Look, you've been going through a lot lately, Daniel," he continued on, hoping to keep the conversation going. "You've been working long nights lately, and now you're trying to deal with the aftermath from last week's fire. So, it's understandable if everything seems muddled for you right now."

"Well, I guess so. But it's just that I've never had this problem before." With his jaw clenched, Daniel softly gnawed on his lower lip. "I guess it's…I don't know – maybe…frustration? Yeah. That's it. That's probably the best word for it." Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath before gazing up at the doctor apologetically. "I'm sorry to be taking up your time like this. I know that you're just my physician, and this is definitely not in your job description. "

"It's not a bother, Daniel." Dr. Avery shook his head and smiled sympathetically. "I may be your doctor, but I'm still a friend – to you and your family. Still, you do have a point." Slowly, he took off his glasses and proceeded to wipe at them with the edge of his lab coat. "Like you said, I am just a physician. I do a better job at curing physical scars, not emotional ones."

Daniel watched the doctor as he calmly pocketed his glasses and rose to his feet.

"With everything that's been going on in your life lately, I think it would do you some good to sit down with someone who could really help you sort through all of this – like a therapist, for instance."

"Uh, no…I mean, I don't think I'll be needing one right now," Daniel laughed nervously. "I just need to talk with someone that I feel comfortable with, and I'm sure that talking with a perfect stranger won't help."

Dr. Avery eyed him skeptically as he came around his desk to face him. "Well, I don't know about that, Daniel. I know some excellent therapists who are quite adept at being sensitive to these matters…but alright," he conceded quickly, before Daniel could interrupt in further protest. "Let's hold off on the therapists – for now. But let's consider some other alternatives."

Daniel watched him curiously. "Like what?"

"Well," the doctor's voice drifted thoughtfully, "in times like this, it often works wonders to have a few close loved ones to talk to – like family. Have you ever considered sharing your feelings with your mother and Alexis?"

"Are you kidding?" scoffed Daniel incredulously. "I can't talk to them about this?! I'm sorry, Dr. Avery, but you know how my family is. My mother would have me penciled in with her therapist for a 'mother-and-son' session by tomorrow morning! And Alexis? God only knows how many self-help books she has stashed away in her office – and I _know_ she's waiting for just the right moment to push them on me. There's no way that I'm walking into that with both eyes open." He shook his head defiantly. "I mean, how exactly will reading a book about getting in touch with your 'inner woman' help _me_? You know, it's one thing if she had books that I can relate to, but nowadays, it's all about men being from Mars and women living on Neptune…or…I don't know, something like that."

"Yes – yes, I see." The doctor laid a finger over his mouth in a subtle attempt to mask the amused smile on his face. After years of being a Meade family friend, he knew all too well that Daniel was certainly speaking the truth. No doubt, Claire and Alexis would try to help him in their own loving way, but at present, would that be enough to get him to open up about his troubles? _Probably not_, mused the doctor.

Once again, Dr. Avery looked up and found his patient looking very much like a lost little boy, sulking in his seat. What other options were there? From what he knew, Daniel didn't have many close friends, but he certainly needed one right now. Considering his current state of mind, this person couldn't be just anyone. It had to be someone who would make him feel comfortable – someone who would understand just where he's coming from.

_Ah. _

As he crossed his arms over his chest, Dr. Avery slowly leaned back against his desk and thoughtfully considered the next name that entered his head.

"Daniel, what about that assistant of yours – Betty Suarez?"

The doctor watched as Daniel silently glanced up at him with mild surprise.

"She seems to know you quite well – at least, that's what I've gathered from talking to you during your regular check-ups," continued the doctor after a short pause. "You seem to mention her every so often, so I assume that you're also good friends?"

"Um…yes," Daniel nodded with a small shrug. "We are."

"Have you talked to her about what you're going through?"

"Well…no, not really," replied Daniel hesitantly. "Actually, I don't think this is something that I could talk to her about."

Dr. Avery frowned. "Why not? She was there when you were going through this whole incident. In fact, wasn't she in the middle of it – especially with the fire?"

"No – I mean, yes she was, but…I don't know."

To Dr. Avery's surprise, Daniel started shifting uncomfortably in his seat again – more so than when he first entered the room. It was quite apparent that he had hit a nerve in the young man by mentioning Ms. Suarez's name.

"What I'm going through is complicated…and um…yeah, I don't think that she would understand, to be honest."

"Well, I beg to differ, Daniel," the doctor replied gently. "The best way to tackle a problem is usually to get right to the heart of it and nip it in the bud. And since your assistant was directly involved in this situation with you and your ex-girlfriend, I think she is the one person who would understand what you're going through most of all. It certainly appears to me that you have a lot to get off of your chest." He paused and gave Daniel a knowing look. "You need to talk to her."

With his elbows resting on each side of the chair, Daniel clenched his hands together in deep thought over the suggestion before slowly shaking his head. "I can't do that."

For a moment, Dr. Avery said nothing as he dove into his coat pocket and retrieved his glasses. "Daniel, you need to talk to Betty – and eventually, you will talk to her about this. Consider this doctor's orders," he added, as he slowly replaced his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "It's either this, or I could recommend a good therapist to your mother."

With a slight grimace on his face, Daniel let out a deep sigh and leaned forward in his seat, hoping to appeal to the doctor's sympathies one more time. "But…I don't even know where to start! How do I even start a conversation about this? It's just…you know, this is a _really_ touchy subject. Just look at me right now – I can't even get the words out when I'm discussing this with you! How much more when I'm talking to her?"

"Don't worry too much about that. Believe me, the words will come when you're ready," Dr. Avery assured calmly. "You'll just have to find the right moment to broach the subject – and when it's there, take it."

"But how will I know if the time is right or not?"

With a small, cryptic smile on his face, the old doctor straightened up and gave Daniel a reassuring pat on the shoulder before returning to the chair behind his desk. "When it feels right, you'll know."


	2. One Step Forward, One Push Back

**Title:** Champagne Wishes and Betty Dreams

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** After the incident with Renee, Daniel closes himself off to everyone - including Betty.

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place sometime after the Season 2 episode "Burning Questions" but before "Betty's Baby Bump".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters. (But in this fic, the doctor is my creation.)

**A/N: **First off, to all of my readers, thank you very much for all of your kind feedback with the first chapter! :) I greatly appreciate every single comment. You're definitely keeping me inspired, and that really means a lot to me.

So, here we go - the second chapter. Hopefully, everyone will like it. :)

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**Chapter 2: One Step Forward, One Push Back**

_It's 6:30. 6:30! God…_

"Come on, Daniel." Betty tapped her pen impatiently. "Where are you? Pick up!"

For the fifth time within the past hour, she was ringing Daniel's cellphone, only to find that it was still turned off.

And that worried her. In fact, everything about Daniel's recent behavior worried her.

Over the past week, he had shut down and fallen back into some old bad habits. Granted, he still managed to show up at work, but mentally, his mind was elsewhere – and it showed in everything, from his unkempt clothes to the puffy circles under his tired eyes.

And it most certainly didn't relieve Betty's mind that he randomly disappeared from time to time either.

She definitely wanted to do more to reach out, but with their current busy schedule, it was becoming increasingly difficult to catch Daniel on the move. Of course, it definitely didn't help matters that Daniel was being distant with everyone – especially with her. Ever since his breakup with Renee, Betty couldn't help but notice that he was behaving strangely – perhaps even a little more formal than usual.

After reaching his voicemail for the sixth time, Betty hung up the phone and stared thoughtfully at Daniel's desk through the glass wall. As confused as she was by the entire situation, she felt absolutely sure about one thing: She wanted things to go back to the way they were – with Daniel acting happy and normal again.

Just as her mind began to zone out, the phone rang, startling Betty from her thoughts.

"Daniel Meade's office, Betty Suarez speaking…Oh, hi Christina."

With the receiver in one ear, Betty picked up her purse and began shuffling inside for her cellphone.

"I thought you might be Daniel. He hasn't been back in the office for over an hour and a half, and I've called his cellphone about fifty times already…Yeah, okay – maybe not fifty. But it felt like fifty…No, no he isn't picking up. Each time, it's gone straight to voicemail…Wait, can you hold on for a second? I can't find my stupid cellphone!"

Pausing, Betty flipped her bag upside down and sighed with relief as her cellphone dropped onto her desk with a soft thud.

"Okay, I found it. I'm thinking that maybe he called or left a text, so I'm checking right now…Nope, nothing." Betty twitched her lips in disappointment. "I have no idea where he is, and he has a business dinner at 7:30…Well, he said he was going to take a walk to clear his head, but for this long – and with his phone turned off? I'm really worried. I mean, this is really unusual behavior for him…What?…Christina?! Don't say that! Of course, Daniel wouldn't do something that crazy…No…No, because I know him...Yes, I'm sure…Uh, what about Renee?…I know they were living together, but I don't get…What?!…Eww, no! And I can't believe you said _that_." Hearing her friend's suggestion, Betty shook her head against the phone and grimaced. "Christina, mental instability isn't a sexually transmitted disease, so I seriously doubt that Daniel has it!"

Pausing, Betty noticed a few pairs of eyes had shot curiously in her direction, causing her to blush deeply.

"Okay, you know what? Let's just change the subject," she replied more quietly as she swiveled her chair in the opposite direction, away from the prying eyes of office gossipers. "I think I'm going to stay around here for a while since I have some work to finish up. Maybe I can get a lot more done, and well…" Nodding into the phone, Betty picked up the items that she had dumped onto her desk and replaced them into her purse. "Hmm…yeah, that's what I'm hoping for, too. I mean, he can't act this way forever - I think. At least, I hope not."

Just as she had spoken those words, Daniel appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Oh! Christina, can I call you later?" Betty replied hurriedly as the tired-looking editor-in-chief slowly made his way towards his office door. "Yes, he just showed up. Alright…bye!"

Standing up swiftly, Betty rounded her desk and followed Daniel into his office without saying a word. Patiently, she waited and watched as he sifted through some items on his desk, hoping all along that he would eventually look up and give some kind of explanation of his whereabouts for the past hour or so. However, after several seconds passed without any communication from his side, Betty's impatience started to eat at her nerves. Somebody had to start saying something – soon.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?" Pausing momentarily, Daniel looked up as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Hey, Betty. Were there, um…any messages while I was out?"

"Yeah, there were several, actually. I put them together in that folder, just as you asked." Betty approached and pointed towards the left side of his desk.

"Great."

As Daniel's attention drifted towards the folder, Betty crossed her arms against her chest. _Is that all he has to say?_

"Um…you do remember that you have a dinner meeting with Alexis and Douglas Hannant at 7:30, right?"

Closing the folder, Daniel looked up at his petite assistant once again. "Yes, of course. And…everything I need is here, right?" He asked, pointing to another orange folder towards the right of his desk.

"Uh-huh," nodded Betty, biting her lip.

"Great. Then…we're all set," Daniel replied with a tight-lipped smile as he picked up his briefcase.

"No! We're not!" The high-pitched sound in Betty's voice caused Daniel to stare up in surprise. "I don't know if you realize this, but you just disappeared for the past hour or so. What happened, Daniel?"

Putting down his case, Daniel shifted his eyes downward before allowing himself to meet Betty's anxious gaze once again. "I said I was going for a walk, remember?"

"Yeah, you mentioned that, but…for almost two hours?"

Shrugging calmly, Daniel tried his best not to falter under Betty's incredulous stare. "I just lost track of time."

"So, you've just been walking around?"

"Yes."

"This _entire_ time?"

"Yeah…of course."

Raising her eyebrows, Betty studied his face. As much as she wanted to believe Daniel, her gut instinct was telling her that something was definitely amiss with his statement – especially when she saw that peculiar, inexplicable look in his eyes.

"Uh, o-kay," Betty continued, feeling bewildered as Daniel looked away. "Well, you should have at least left your phone on. I left you, like…I don't know, thirty messages on your voicemail?"

Diving into his pocket, Daniel retrieved his phone and fiddled with the buttons momentarily. "Oh – you're right. Sorry about that. I guess I turned it off." He frowned mildly as he studied his message list. "Betty, I only see five calls from you, not thirty."

Rolling her eyes halfway, Betty sighed in slight exasperation. "Okay, so I exaggerated. But the point is that I called you – "

"Oh, hey! It looks like Becks left me a message, too," Daniel interrupted, chuckling nonchalantly as his eyes remained fixated on the tiny screen of his phone. "Gosh, it's been a while since he's been in town. I bet he wants to meet up later to tell me about that model from – "

"Daniel?!" Stepping forward, Betty stared anxiously at her friend. "Is that all that you're going to say?"

Despite his attempts to remain cool, Daniel felt knots beginning to form in his stomach as Betty's brown eyes bore into his. "What were you expecting me to say?"

"Daniel…you've just gone missing for over an hour and a half – with no means of communication! And this isn't the first time that you've 'disappeared' this week, either – and without much explanation. Do you know what that does to a person like me?" She paused as Daniel's eyes clouded over with a hint of guilt. "Is there something that…maybe you'd like to tell me?"

"What? No…no, there's…I'm fine," replied Daniel, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Betty, I'm sorry, but I just wanted to get outside for some air. I turned off my cell before the staff meeting earlier, and I guess I forgot to turn it back on – that's all. Is it really a big deal?"

"Well…just to be safe, I wish you would at least give me an idea of where you're planning to go before you disappear," Betty replied more calmly, noting the slight edge in her friend's voice. "I mean, who knows what could've happened – "

"Look, Betty, we've talked about this before. You don't have to be my watchdog," Daniel interjected defensively. "I mean…it was just a walk – plain and simple! And as you can see, everything's fine, so does it really matter where I went? I'm here now, safe and sound, so please – let's just leave things at that, okay?!"

The sharp rebuff left Betty speechless and stunned, as her mind reeled over several thoughts at once. What had she done wrong? And why was Daniel so intent on pushing her away? With each passing second, Betty felt more confused and hurt. For the past week, she had one simple objective in mind: She wanted to help Daniel out, as much as she could. But despite her best efforts, he had unexpectedly turned against her. And now, he was finally making it clear that he had no intention of opening up – not even to her. Somehow, that thought left her feeling small and unsure in his presence.

Suddenly, she felt the urgent need to bolt from the room.

"Okay, then. I guess we're done." Mustering her courage, Betty looked up briefly to find Daniel's blue eyes staring intently at her. Quietly, she nodded and dropped her gaze again towards her wristwatch. "And, um – look, it's almost 7:00, so you should get going. Oh – and, um…Alexis wanted me to remind you that she'll be meeting you at the restaurant, so…yeah, there you go." With both hands clutched behind her back, Betty tried not to return Daniel's gaze as she slowly backed away towards the door. "Have a good meeting."

As soon as Betty had turned and exited the office, Daniel felt his heart drop heavily in his chest.

"Betty – Betty, wait!" With the orange folder and his briefcase in hand, he ran out the door and followed Betty to her desk. "I'm really sorry. I honestly didn't mean to bark at you like that."

With her back turned to Daniel, Betty pretended to arrange a stack of folders in the corner as she swallowed slowly and tried to compose her nerves.

"It was really stupid of me to act that way," he continued remorsefully. "I guess…I don't know, I guess I haven't been feeling myself lately – but that's not an excuse for what I just did back there. I – I'm not sure why I behaved that way."

Slowly, Betty turned to face him with a sad, questioning look in her eyes. "Well, I don't know what's going on either, Daniel – and that's what concerns me. You've just been so – I don't know – _off_ lately."

"I know." Daniel nodded slightly, stepping closer to her. "I guess I've had a lot of things on my mind…and you know, I'm just trying to work around it somehow…in my own way."

Betty's heart filled with sympathy as she took in the lost look on Daniel's face.

"Look, I know that things have been rough lately since you broke up with Renee, but you don't have to deal with it alone." A small, hesitant smile graced her lips. "There are plenty of people who want to help you, Daniel – like your sweet, trusty assistant, for instance?"

For a second, the corners of Daniel's eyes crinkled in mild amusement at Betty's pointed remark. In times of need, Betty always insisted on being there for him, even when he didn't require it of her. But for the first time, Daniel felt unsure about letting her in – especially after recent events. How could he allow her to see how vulnerable and confused he really was? And would anything he said make sense? It barely made any sense to him in his head, so how would it ever make sense to her?

It probably never would – or so, he thought.

Of course, Dr. Avery meant well in advising him to express himself, but he only knew half the story – or much less than that. Daniel was sure that if the doctor knew more, he probably wouldn't have allowed him to make a buffoon of himself twice in two weeks. For the young editor-in-chief, sticking his foot in his mouth had reached epidemic proportions of late. And he certainly didn't want to place himself in another potentially embarrassing situation – especially with the one friend who was standing in front of him.

_Who knows – maybe if I just wait a while, all of this emotional garbage will die out. _

_But, then again…what if it doesn't?_

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?" Realizing that he had zoned out, Daniel looked down and found Betty's brown eyes studying him curiously. "Oh – sorry…I was, um, thinking about that meeting tonight, actually. I probably should get going."

"Oh. You're right," Betty quietly sighed as she glanced at her watch. If only she could stop time long enough for them to talk a little more. "Well, um – I'm going to stick around here a little longer and finish putting these information packets together for next week."

"Right now?" Daniel asked, seeing the large stack of orange binders on her desk. He glanced up briefly as a few homebound employees passed them by, briefcases and bags in hand. "But Betty, it's Friday night. This can definitely wait until Monday."

"I know, but I want to get it out of the way. It's not a big deal," she replied dismissively, stifling a yawn in the process. "I'm almost done anyway. I just have to lay them out and do one more check and that'll be it."

The yawn didn't escape Daniel's notice, and he skeptically eyed his assistant. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Besides, I don't have any plans tonight, so I thought – why not just finish what I started?"

For a brief moment, Daniel opened his mouth to protest, until he considered the possible opportunity that the situation afforded.

"Yeah, well…" He looked around the almost empty office and surveyed the few employees who were still milling about. "Aren't you going to do something with your family – or with Henry?"

"No, not tonight, unfortunately. Henry is taking Charlie to her lamas class, and my family already knows to expect me a little later than usual for dinner," replied Betty, shaking her head slowly. Perceiving that there might be more to the question, her eyes shot up at Daniel. "Why? Did you need for me to stick around? Um…I know that we still have those editorial notes to go over. I mean, if you want, I can wait."

"Oh – no no, that's not what I meant. I was, um, actually planning on going home after the dinner meeting," he answered quickly, his nerves buckling once again. Rubbing softly at the back of his neck, Daniel wanted to kick himself, but he fought the urge and softly sighed instead. "Look, Betty, maybe you should just go home and take it easy, too."

"Daniel, this is not a problem for me – really," replied Betty with the utmost sincerity. "And I'll go home – as soon as I'm done here. I really want to finish this tonight…if that's okay."

Although Daniel glanced away, Betty could see the look of hesitation and doubt in his blue eyes – a look that seemed to reappear every so often within the past week. Strangely enough, Betty couldn't help but notice that it seemed to crop up more noticeably when he was conversing with _her_ than with anyone else. If only she could figure out what it all meant – if it, indeed, meant anything at all…

"Alright, Betty."

Her train of thought broke as she looked up and found Daniel eyeing the stack of binders on her desk.

"It's not a problem. You can continue working on these, if you want." Looking over his shoulder, he gestured with his head towards his office. "And if you need more room, you can get comfortable and lay everything out in my office – or, um, the conference room…or whichever works for you."

Betty beamed brightly at her boss' thoughtful suggestion. "Really? So, you won't mind if I kick off my shoes and sit on your couch while I do this?"

"No, of course not," he replied with a lop-sided grin.

Happily clasping her hands together, Betty drew forward and gave her friend a brief hug. "Thanks, Daniel! This really makes it so much easier to concentrate." Putting one hand down on her desk, she proceeded to slip off her shoes as Daniel's hand hovered protectively near her arm, in an attempt to keep her on balance. As Betty bent down for her shoe, she suddenly caught sight of the time on her computer monitor. "Oh, hey – the meeting! Um…I guess you should get going, or else you'll be late."

"What time is it?" Straightening up, Daniel pulled back his coat sleeve and glanced at his watch, which now read 7:10 p.m.. "Yeah, I'm cutting it close." He paused tentatively. "So…you're sure you'll be alright here?"

"I'll be _fine_," she emphasized, raising her eyebrows at him. "I'll finish up and be out of here in no time – no worries. In the meantime, I have that couch to keep me company," Betty added cheerfully, as she grabbed a stack of orange binders from her desk and started towards his office door.

"Okay," Daniel nodded thoughtfully at his diminutive assistant as she paused midway to his office door and stood in front of him. " Well…have a good weekend then, Betty."

"You, too."

With that, he turned and made his way down the corridor, away from where Betty still stood, watching.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?" He called back, turning once more.

"Good luck with that meeting…and take care of yourself," she nodded, pausing carefully as she considered her next words. "And…I just want you to know – if you ever want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Betty," replied Daniel softly, noting the concern in her voice.

With those parting words, Betty smiled gently at him and disappeared from sight, leaving Daniel to painfully wonder why he was alienating the only friend who truly cared.

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_**A/N:** We're down to the home stretch! If all goes well, the next chapter should be the last one for this fic.  
_


	3. Biting the Bullet

**Title:** Champagne Wishes and Betty Dreams

**Pairing:** Daniel/Betty

**Rating:** K+

**Summary:** After the incident with Renee, Daniel closes himself off to everyone - including Betty.

**Timeline:** AU; Takes place sometime after the Season 2 episode "Burning Questions" but before "Betty's Baby Bump".

**Disclaimer:** I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters. (But in this fic, the doctor is my creation.)

**A/N: **First off, I'm really sorry for the big gap in between chapters. With RL taking up my concentration (not to mention a little writer's block, which crops up every so often), I'm sorry to say - I'm not the fastest of fanfic writers. :P But I hope my few and faithful readers will forgive me. :\ If anything, I will promise this: I won't leave this story hanging - or any other, for that matter.

So, here's the third chapter! For those who might remember, I did say that this chapter would be the last of the story. Well...the plan changed a little. Heh. So now, there are two more chapters - this and Ch. 4. But I hope everyone likes this one! As I mentioned before, I always wanted to dig a little more into Daniel's psyche after the events in "Burning Questions". This chapter does a bit of that.

Anyway, thank you in advance for reading this! I absolutely love comments (no matter what, they're like virtual hugs to me), so please drop me a line and tell me what you think. :)

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**Chapter 3 – Biting the Bullet**

_Never thought I'd be back here on a Friday night._

With his suit jacket slung over his right shoulder, Daniel softly sighed, eyeing the elevator panel to his left.

"It's better than nothing," he noted, almost inaudibly to himself. "What else is there?"

After brief consideration, he set down his briefcase and hesitantly pressed the button to _Mode's_ floor.

It had been a long day – a long week, in fact – and Daniel wanted nothing more than to clear his head. As the elevator began its ascent, he stepped back and leaned tiredly against the wall, his eyes fixated on the blinking floor lights at the top of the elevator door. 3rd, 4th, 5th…eventually he would be on the twenty-eighth floor and in his office – the one place that felt like a safe haven at the moment. The thought of that was enough to make Daniel chuckle under his breath, as he considered the irony of the situation: His workplace had become his "home".

_Home..._ Daniel shook his head lightly as that word echoed again in the back of his mind. Presently, having a real home of his own was something that barely existed for him. His eyelids shut momentarily as his thoughts turned to his own loft, which was still partly charred and under repair. As much as he loved his apartment, it didn't make much sense to him to spend Friday night there – not after everything that happened with Renee. Too many memories of past dinners and date nights still lingered in Daniel's mind, reminding him of happiness that constantly eluded him.

But that was the way it always was in his life. Happiness and fulfillment would come in a heartbeat, only to be replaced soon after by heartbreak and disappointment. It certainly was a strange and vicious cycle – one that Daniel wished would eventually stop.

_But what if that's the way it's meant to be?_ The bluish color in his eyes darkened, as he pondered the situation further. _Maybe it's just pointless to hope for something better._

Suddenly, the vibration of Daniel's cell phone cut into his solemn reverie. Fetching it from his pocket, he slowly scrolled down and gave a half-hearted smirk as one of Becks' all-too familiar messages popped up on the screen. It was Friday night, after all, and Daniel knew that meant only one thing to his college buddy: It was time to party and paint the town red with all the hotties.

Not that Daniel ever disagreed with that in the past. It was always the easy solution to any problem: Drown yourself in Jack Daniels, and live it up with the ladies for a few hot hours.

But somehow, that wasn't enough. Not this time.

Daniel stared blankly at his phone, as his previous train of thought resurfaced in his mind. One night of hard-core partying wasn't going to give him the peace of mind that he wanted. He was sure of that. Becks' invitation would end up being a temporary fix-it, and he needed so much more – a lot more than one wild night of partying could offer.

With his fingers poised, Daniel paused briefly before typing out the first excuse that came into his head.

_**Sorry man, last min. deadline. Stuck working late. Catch you later.**_

His lips formed into a tight line as he stared at his message, his thumb hovering over the 'SEND' button. All of a sudden, he let out a soft snort, as he pictured Becks rolling his eyes at this generic excuse. Daniel Meade, working late on a Friday night? Yeah. _Right_.

For a split second, Daniel reconsidered the message as he thought of something better and more believable to say. But it was pointless. He wasn't in the mood for elaborate lies, and there was no other explanation to offer – at least, not one that he was willing to share.

Once more, Daniel peered down at his phone. "The less I say, the better," he mumbled, before finally allowing his thumb to press 'SEND'.

_It's a lame lie, but it's ten times better than the truth. _

Suddenly, the soft ping from the elevator finally caused Daniel to glance up. In his preoccupation, he hadn't realized that the elevator car had finally made its ascent to the twenty-eighth floor. Slightly dazed, Daniel automatically proceeded towards the open doors, forgetting his place and everything around him –including the briefcase in front of his feet. At the last minute, he finally looked down, but it was too late. His right foot caught on the briefcase, causing him to step forward very awkwardly on his left. In an attempt to catch himself from falling completely, Daniel quickly put his hand out on the elevator panel in front of him. The move, however, inadvertently caused him to release his hold on his phone. Unable to catch it, Daniel grimaced as his Treo dropped on the floor and skidded a short distance outside the elevator doors.

"Damn it!" He muttered angrily, thumping his left fist lightly against the elevator panel. "This is definitely not my week." For a moment, he leaned his head sideways against the cool steel panel in front of him and took a breath. As soon as he felt calmer, he slowly straightened up and picked up his coat and toppled suitcase before walking over to where his phone lay on the floor outside the elevator. Gingerly, he picked it up and examined it closely until he was satisfied that there was nothing to worry about – except for a few light scratches and scuff marks.

_Well, at least it's working_. Taking his handkerchief from his pocket, Daniel wiped gently over the marks that marred the surface of his phone. _For sure, Betty would never let me hear the end of it if I broke another one._

In spite of himself, Daniel smiled half-heartedly as he suddenly imagined Betty's trademark look of disapproval – those furrowed eyebrows, that slight frown gracing her mouth, and, of course, her defiant little cross-armed stance. After two years of being on the receiving end of that look, he practically had the whole thing memorized – down to the last pout. Then again, it was hard for him to forget anything Betty ever said or did. She was always impacting his life, in some form or another – even when she didn't realize it.

_Maybe you should let her know that._

The words echoed in his conscience, almost as if Dr. Avery had spoken them himself.

_You need to talk to her, Daniel. _

Seating himself on a nearby bench, Daniel nibbled softly on the inside of his bottom lip as his thoughts turned to Betty. Ever since the fire, he had been trying his best to keep her at bay, while dealing with his inner turmoil in silence. For a while, it seemed like the right thing to do – be a man and spare her the silly melodrama.

But that choice was quickly becoming the path to disaster.

Over the past week, his attempt at avoidance had only made them more distant with each other – and truth be told, he really hated it. The lack of jovial, unaffected conversation between them felt pretty abnormal, and it was starting to frustrate him to no end. In place of normal, cheerful banter and other humorous anecdotes about her family, Betty had relegated herself to more reserved, polite "assistant" talk, touching on mundane office matters and nothing more. He couldn't blame her, of course. His recent "boss-like" behavior had forced her into this uncomfortable position of being much more unsociable than usual. Not to mention, his brilliant plan of self-preservation was starting to turn on its head, leaving him more miserable and hopeless than he ever thought possible. With every passing day, he could feel the weight of his fears pressing more heavily on his mind and heart. And as much as he hated to admit it, he knew the truth: He couldn't deal with it alone – not with Betty's words haunting his thoughts.

_The doctor is right_, Daniel mentally conceded. _I guess there's really only one way to get through this…and I'm going to have to try sometime…_

With that thought hanging in his mind, he clutched his phone tightly in his right hand and took a moment to breathe. Before Daniel could stop himself, he got up and started pacing back and forth along the hallway, his mind racing along with his heartbeat.

Momentarily, he halted in his tracks, long enough to scroll quickly through his phone's address book, where he soon found Betty's picture beaming back at him.

_I can do this._ Daniel bit into his upper lip as he stared thoughtfully at his friend's smiling face. _I know I can_, he assured himself once more, his breath hitching slightly in his throat.

_Here goes_…

Daniel clenched his jaw as his thumb hit the button to dial automatically. Grasping his phone firmly, he continued to pace to and fro along the hallway in an attempt to calm his nerves.

One ring, two rings, three rings, four rings …*click*

"Hi – "

"Betty?"

"—you've reached me, Betty Suarez. Sorry, I can't take your call right now, so just leave a message and I'll get back to – "

"Oh, man…no!" Frowning with impatience, Daniel refused to listen to the entire outgoing message and quickly ended the call. "I need 'real' Betty, not prerecorded 'Betty'," he mumbled, immediately pressing 'SEND' to redial her number.

One ring, two rings…

"Come on…please pick up," he pleaded in a soft whisper.

…four rings …

Voicemail.

Closing his eyes, Daniel tried his best to suppress the disappointment in his heart as he pondered whether or not to leave a message.

_Should I wait? Maybe I should wait. After all, it's the weekend, and she's probably too busy to talk._

He paused.

_But…what if the last thing she wants to do is talk to __me__?_

Daniel's heart sank further at the depressing thought. He had never considered the possibility that Betty might still be annoyed – or even angry – with him. Suddenly, his stomach felt queasy as he imagined her sitting at home, screening out his phone calls on her Blackberry. Maybe she wasn't taking any of his calls on purpose. After all, he did raise his voice at her earlier, and nothing had been resolved between them. Could this be her way of shutting him out for the night? Or maybe –

*beep*

_What the – ? _

Blinking, Daniel suddenly remembered that he still had Betty's voicemail on the line. "Oh! Uh…," His eyes darted around nervously, as his brain suddenly went into overdrive. "Hey, Betty – yeah, it's uh, Daniel. I just wanted to, um, tell you that the, uh – the meeting went well with Douglas Hannant, and uh…yeah – we did well!" Grimacing at his own redundancy, his mind raced desperately in an effort to impart something more meaningful. "I…um, just wanted to say 'thanks' for helping me put this whole thing…erm, plan – this whole proposal plan together, and um…well…" Pausing, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, feeling his heart drop to his feet. "You did a good job, Betty. So…take care, and um…yeah, have a good weekend."

Daniel promptly ended the call before letting out a deep sigh of regret. _Great, that went well. What kind of message was that?! _Turning on his heel, he hung his head backwards in frustration and looked skyward. _Why didn't I just hang up earlier? Or better yet – why didn't I just say that I needed to talk to her? Oh, that's right. Because I'm a stupid idiot with issues, that's why, _he concluded miserably. _Well, so much for biting the bullet…_

Stewing with self-loathing, he slowly turned and proceeded towards the bench at the end of the hallway. Slowly, he seated himself, slumping against the wall and trying his best to dull all frustration at this latest setback. _Maybe it's better this way – just be alone with my thoughts for the weekend, _he concluded unhappily. _It's not like I have a choice anyway._

After a moment of silent reflection, Daniel looked up and took in his surroundings for the first time. As expected, _Mode's_ floor was cold, dark, and quiet – the perfect setting for solitary time and, ironically, the perfect match for his mood. _This should be fun_, he thought dryly as he shoved his phone into his pocket_._ With his briefcase in tow, he threw his coat listlessly over his shoulder and reluctantly trekked his way through the hallway towards the main reception area.

_At least I still have that leftover bottle of champagne stashed in my office, _Daniel recalled, spotting an empty glass on Amanda's desk along the way._ That'll keep me company through the bad infomercials and the Oprah reruns._

Turning the corner, he quietly proceeded through the dimly lit corridor, observing several empty desks and cubicles along the way. Until that moment, he never realized just how different Mode could be after hours. Without the normal hubbub of activity surrounding him, he suddenly felt very awkward and lonely – even more so than he was willing to admit.

Turning his eyes away, Daniel tried his best to shut out any more negative thoughts as he made a beeline towards his office. _Okay, so I'm here by myself – big deal! The floor is all mine, and I can have my own little party, with my leftover champagne and my stash of M&M peanuts and – _

Suddenly, Daniel halted in the middle of the corridor. From where he was standing, he could clearly see a few rays of light peeking out from the direction of his office door.

Tentatively, he glanced around and saw that no other offices or cubicles were lit. Before taking a few steps forward, he hoisted up his left sleeve and peered down at his watch. 11:04 p.m. Who else would be there at that hour?

Daniel's eyes shot up towards his office, and his pace quickened until he was a few feet away from the door. Immediately, he set his gaze in the direction of Betty's desk, and his eyes widened. Even in the darkness, he could easily see her navy blue sweater hanging against the back of her chair. Looking downward, he spotted her quilted, multicolored handbag slumped on the floor, next to the black heels she had taken off earlier.

For a moment, Daniel stood frozen in place, his eyes flitting back and forth between Betty's belongings and the light emanating from underneath his door.

There was no mistaking it.

She was still there.

* * *

_**A/N:** *gasp* Mini-cliffhanger?! Yes, but it's not intentional. With the direction it was taking, it just made sense for me to stop there. Any thoughts?_


End file.
